Sunni and Shia differences are mainly related to religious leadership and the significance of Muhammad’s family. The split originated after Muhammad’s death, with Sunnis accepting Abu Bakr as the first Caliph and Shiites believing Ali was the true choice. Sunnis are the majority, but Shiites are the second-largest sect and the majority in some countries. They differ in their worship practices and the acceptance of hadiths. Cultural and political divisions have increased tensions between the two groups, but they share common elements such as the five pillars of Islam and the same Koran. Mosques are non-denominational.
The real differences between the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam probably won’t seem as dramatic as many non-Muslims assume. However, there is considerable variation in how they view their religious leaders and attach significance to the story of Muhammad’s family. Cultural and political differences constitute the most divisive issues separating the two groups today.
Origins of Sunnis – Shia Split
The division between these two significant sects of Islam can be traced back to the time soon after Muhammad’s death in the year 632, and centered around who would succeed the Prophet and become the first Caliph, or leader. A friend and advisor of Muhammad, Abu Bakr, was eventually selected to fill this role. Those who accept this decision call themselves Sunnis. This group constitutes the more traditional, or orthodox, form of the religion.
Some refused to follow Abu Bakr, however, and believed that another man, Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali, was Muhammad’s true choice to be the first Caliph. The term “Shia” is a sort of abbreviated version of the Arabic Shiat Ali, which means “followers of Ali”. Shiites regarded him as the first in a line of imams, or high clergymen, who were direct descendants of Muhammad and acted as messengers of God. There were 12 imams before the bloodline died out in the 800s. Each now has sub-sects dedicated to worshiping him within Shia Islam.
Population
The majority of practicing Muslims today are Sunni; Shiites, by comparison, comprise between 10% and 20% of the world’s Muslims. While this makes them the second largest Islamic sect, in some countries, such as Iran and Iraq, Shiites are in the majority. Other denominations also exist – including Sufis, Ahmadis and others – but they make up much smaller portions of the total Islamic population.
Differences in religious leadership
One of the major contrasts between the Sunni and Shia sects concerns religious leadership. Shiites believe that God directly chooses their imams. These high clergymen wield significant political authority that often extends beyond national borders. Sunni Muslims, on the other hand, do not attach any special power to the clergy and their religious leaders tend not to be as concerned with expansive political roles. Instead, they tend to take on a more localized teaching role.
Differences in modern practices
Sunni and Shia Muslims are called to prayer every day by different callings and practice certain rituals in different ways. Worship practices also differ in terms of which scriptures, or hadiths, are acceptable to them. While Shia generally only recognize hadith attributed to Muhammad’s immediate family or followers of Ali, Sunni Muslims take a broader view and consider all hadith to be valid.
Shiites place greater emphasis on the torment of martyrdom suffered by the imams and voluntarily undergo physical pain to sympathize with them. They also often combine the five daily prayers into three or four, especially if they work long hours, and do not consider this a sign of a lesser amount of devotion. Sunnis generally disagree with both practices and place a higher priority on strict adherence to orthodox practices. Another area of contention is that Shia accept and allow men to enter into temporary marriages, known as mutah. While Sunnis also historically accepted them, they abolished the practice long ago.
Cultural and political divisions
The modern geopolitical situation has amplified the differences between the two sects and in turn increased the tensions between them. As Islam has spread to countries around the world, some individual Muslim nations have tended to embrace one denomination over the other. This means that the denomination often becomes part of the national identity and culture of the country, sometimes resulting in the oppression of the other sect, as well as both internal and external political tensions.
Common elements
While conflict hotspots often tend to stand out in the world’s media, however, they do not inherently represent the state of Islam as a whole. Both sects emphasize the five pillars of Islam, read the same Koran (Koran), and consider themselves Muslim. Mosques are by definition, non-denominational, and while individual mosques may be more associated with members of a particular denomination, members of any sect are normally free to pray at any mosque.
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